NEW DELHI: The Centre has favoured Sumitra Mahajan's proposal for construction of a new Parliament building behind Vayu Bhawan on Rajpath. In response to Mahajan's letter in December, the urban development ministry is learned to have suggested that the new building can be connected to the existing Parliament complex through a tunnel across Rajpath.

The Speaker had written to urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu that the 88-year-old Parliament building was showing signs of “distress“ and would no longer be able to meet the growing demand for space. Mahajan had suggested two options for the alternative site: one within the present Parliament complex and another across Rajpath.

She had suggested that the second option would provide more space, allowing freedom in terms of choosing a design for the new Parliament House building.

Sources in the ministry said the decision on the crucial project would have to be taken at the highest level in the government. Building a new complex would take at least five to six years, officials said. In her letter, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had said that the strength of Lok Sabha could increase after 2026 due to delimitation and it would be difficult to increase the seating capacity of the House from the current 550.Delimitation determines representation of MPs and MLAs on the basis of population determined by the last census.The next census will be in 2021. Besides, parliamentary committees and visitors also require more space, not to mention the increasing security needs of parliamentarians.

The Parliament House was commissioned in 1927 in keeping with the limited demands of staff, security personnel, media visitors and parliamentary activities of the time. Over the years, though, parliamentary activities and the number of staff and visitors have increased manifold.